Nothing Headphone 1 review: Audiophile sound meets bold, polarising design

Nothing's first over-ear headphones, the Headphone 1 gets most of the things right and offers a well-rounded package at its price

The Headphone 1 marks Nothing’s first attempt at full-sized over-ear headphones, co-developed in collaboration with UK-based audio entity KEF. Priced at Rs 21,999, these bring a familiar blend of transparent design and feature-focused execution that we have come to expect from Nothing. While the design grabs attention with its cassette-inspired aesthetics and physical controls, the focus here is not just on looks.

 

On paper, the Headphone 1 ticks most of the right boxes with 40mm dynamic audio drivers, spatial audio with head tracking, support for lossless audio, and active noise cancellation, all backed by strong battery claims. But does it manage to translate this specification into a reliable everyday listening experience? I have been using the Headphone 1 for nearly two weeks now, and here is how it holds up.

Design and controls

The Nothing Headphone 1 strikes a balance between modern aesthetics and retro nostalgia, something that users may find either intriguing or too fancy. The main ear cup chassis is constructed from aluminium, lending the headphones a robust and premium in-hand feel. Sitting atop the cups is a transparent module, a signature Nothing design choice that showcases internal components inspired by vintage cassette tapes. This retro theming isn’t just visual; it extends into the physical controls as well.

 

On the back of the right ear cup, there's a tactile roller for volume adjustment, which offers precise feedback. Just below it is a paddle-style switch for skipping tracks, while an iPhone’s mute switch-style slider at the bottom of the cup toggles power on or off. You also get a Bluetooth pairing button located on the inside face of the ear cups, and a customisable multi-function button on the top edge.

Although the number of controls may seem excessive at first glance, each is well-positioned and distinct in shape, making them easy to identify and use without much learning curve. Personally, I found this physical approach far more intuitive than the often finicky touch controls used by many competitors.

 

In terms of comfort, the Nothing Headphone 1 offers a solid fit with a manageable clamping force that avoids excessive pressure. The ear cup padding is plush and comfortable for long sessions, though the cushioning on the headband is noticeably thin and does not hold up comfort for long.

 

While the outer part of the headband is plastic, Nothing says it’s reinforced internally with aluminium strips running the full length for added durability. The structure is flexible enough for easy wear-and-remove without stressing the frame.

 

The headphones can swivel to lie flat around your neck, making them convenient to rest when not in use, but they do not fold inwards – which means they will require a bit more room in your bag. The included carry pouch also has a fairly large footprint, which adds to the portability trade-off.

 

Design aside, there are a few thoughtful touches that enhance practicality. For instance, the Nothing Headphone 1 carries an IP52 rating, making it resilient against dust, sweat, and light rain.

Connectivity

The Nothing Headphone 1 offers a versatile set of connectivity options, catering to both wired and wireless use cases. For wired playback, you get support for both USB-C and the 3.5mm audio jack, and Nothing includes both cables in the box. This makes it convenient to switch between devices, especially when battery life is running low or when connecting to legacy audio sources.

 

On the wireless front, the headphones use Bluetooth 5.3 and support high-resolution audio streaming over AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) and LDAC (Lossless Digital Audio Coding) codecs. These ensure good-quality playback, especially on Android devices that support LDAC. However, the headphones do miss out on LHDC (Low Latency High-Definition Audio Coding) support, which is a slight letdown, particularly considering Nothing already supports both LHDC and LDAC on its flagship Nothing Ear earbuds. In low-latency mode, the headphones default to AAC, which is serviceable but noticeably less capable when compared to what LHDC could have offered in terms of both fidelity and latency.

 

Another area where Nothing has cut corners is support for newer features like Bluetooth LE Audio or deeper ecosystem integration such as Google’s Find My Device network. That said, you do get Nothing’s own Find My Headphones feature via the Nothing X app, which lets you trigger a loud audio alert to help locate the headphones nearby. It’s a basic but functional solution that works as intended.

Audio experience

The Nothing Headphone 1 features custom 40mm dynamic drivers with a PU surround, which the company claims moves air more freely than conventional PET materials. The diaphragm is nickel-plated as well, aimed at enhancing clarity in the highs while providing additional punch in the bass. The result is a well-balanced audio profile with decent instrument separation. During playback of live recordings, I could clearly distinguish guitar picking and drum membrane vibrations, an impressive level of detail for this price range.

 

However, the sound signature does lack the depth and richness that more premium headphones like the Beats Studio Pro manage to deliver. That said, this isn’t entirely unexpected given the Nothing Headphone 1’s lower price point.

 

As for Nothing’s much-talked-about collaboration with British audio brand KEF, the company says KEF was involved in tuning the headphones for greater precision and tonal balance. There is indeed a noticeable change in tuning compared to other Nothing audio products I’ve used, especially the Nothing Ear series, but the core sound signature still leans toward familiarity rather than reinvention.

The tuning isn’t overly bass-heavy, but the low-end has a consistent presence, even in the default ‘Balanced’ EQ mode. Speaking of EQ, the Nothing X app deserves praise for its robust customisation features. Apart from four EQ presets (Balanced, More Bass, More Treble, and Voice), the Advanced mode unlocks full parametric control. You can tweak individual frequency bands, modify their gain, change Q values, and even assign new frequencies per band. Additionally, the app allows users to export and import sound profiles via QR codes.

 

There’s also a separate Bass Enhancement feature with five levels of adjustment, useful for users who want added thump without fiddling with the main EQ.

Spatial audio and ANC

One of the standout features of the Nothing Headphone 1 is its support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. Turning this on instantly expands the soundstage, creating a more immersive listening environment. The dynamic head tracking adds an extra layer of realism, allowing you to move your head without disrupting the perceived position of the audio source.

 

Even without ANC, the headphones provide good passive isolation thanks to their snug fit. But with active noise cancellation enabled, the experience steps up significantly, making them well-suited for noisy commutes or environments with constant background hums like engine noise or air conditioning. I mostly used the Adaptive ANC setting, which automatically adjusted noise suppression based on surroundings, and it worked well for the most part. That said, the ANC mics did struggle a bit in windy conditions, where occasional gusts would sneak through.

 

Users can also switch between Low, Mid, and High ANC levels manually, depending on their needs.

 

The Transparency mode, which allows ambient sounds to pass through using the built-in microphones, is functional but not outstanding. Competing devices in this price range have delivered more natural-sounding passthrough, especially when it comes to preserving the clarity and spatial positioning of voices.

Calling experience

The Nothing Headphone (1) offers surprisingly solid microphone performance for a pair of over-ear headphones. In most conditions, the four-microphone array captures clean and intelligible speech, making it more than capable for voice calls and video meetings. Voices sound clear on the other end, and background distractions are kept in check. The AI-powered noise suppression system also holds up well in everyday environments, though, as with the ANC performance, it tends to struggle in particularly windy or chaotic outdoor settings.

Customisable button and other features

The Nothing Headphone (1) includes a customisable button on the right ear cup that supports both single press and “press and hold” actions, allowing you to assign different functions to each. By default, it launches your smartphone’s digital assistant, but you can also configure it to summon ChatGPT Voice.

 

Another standout use case for this button is the Channel Hop feature, which lets you quickly switch between streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music, even on iPhones. While current app support is limited, the feature works seamlessly and can genuinely enhance multi-platform listening. It would be great to see Nothing extend compatibility to other services like YouTube Music in future updates.

Battery and charging

Nothing claims up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC turned on, and based on nearly two weeks of daily use, that estimate holds up well. I have been using the headphones daily, and I only had to charge the headphones once during this period. Yet, they still had 45 per cent battery left at the time of writing. For those willing to skip ANC, the company promises a staggering 80 hours of playback, which could easily stretch battery anxiety over several days of usage.

 

Complimenting the impressive battery life is quick charging functionality that tops up 20 per cent charge in about 10 minutes.

Verdict

Price: Rs 21,999

 

With the Headphone 1, Nothing has built a product that stands out visually and holds up well in day-to-day use. The cassette-inspired design mixes retro cues with functional choices, and the physical controls are easy to get used to, offering a more consistent experience than the touch-based setups found on many rivals.

 

Audio output is clean and well-balanced for the price, with decent instrument separation and room to tweak the sound through the advanced EQ tools in the Nothing X app. Features like spatial audio with head tracking and decent active noise cancellation contribute to an enjoyable listening experience, while the battery life is a strong point, especially for longer commutes or regular usage.

 

However, the absence of LHDC, Bluetooth LE Audio, and a more natural-sounding transparency mode leaves some room for improvement. Still, as Nothing’s first over-ear headphone, the Headphone 1 gets most of the things right and offers a well-rounded package at its price.